The Last Stand
by kiki1592
Summary: Post-TFW Max and the Flock are on the run again. Some of the flock gets kidnapped. What lengths are the others willing to go to to save them? Contains FAX, but the way JP does it. EGGY and possible NIGGY. R&R! Previously call The Last Chance.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, I'm back

**Hey, I'm back. **

**IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY OTHER MAXIMUM RIDE STORIES!! Now that that's over, I just want to say thanks for reading. I LOVE getting reviews! And, as always, when I begin I don't have a clue where this is going; forgive me if it's gets a little WHOO! I like that in a story.**

**Disclaimer: I, Kiki1592, do not own Maximum Ride, which is owned by James Patterson. Nor do I own any other things that turn up both in my story and the real world.**

Maximum Ride: The Last Chance

Chapter 1: Good Morning

Max's POV

"Max, wake up. We have to go soon. Come on, Ig saved you some breakfast." Gazzy said, shoving his greasy fingers into my side. I pried my eyes open and saw brown dirt. Oh, maybe I should roll over next time _before _I open my eyes. So, I rolled onto my back to look at Gazzy. He had an evil smile plastered onto his dirt covered face and I nervously smiled back, although not as evilly.

"Morning guys. Iggy, what's for breakfast?" I said, looking around at the camp. I had taken 2 and a half of the 3 watches last night because I was thinking. Like I'm going to tell you what it was about.

"For you? You get cold oatmeal with some bacon grease. Or you can have a granola bar or 2 if you prefer." Iggy always had the best sense of humor out of all of us. It kind of made up for his lack of sight.

I'll introduce myself for those of you not yet on the maximum ride. I am Maximum Ride (see what I did there?) and I'm 14. I have wings and can fly at amazing speeds of almost 250 mph. My wings are white with tan streaks. I have sandy brown hair, shoulder length, with badly faded hot pink highlights. I've been told my eyes are my best feature, a deep green.

Next, we have Fang. He's 14, too. His power is sort of invisibility. It's weird; I don't have time to explain it. If you ask him, though, he'd say that and a killer sense of style. He's cute, mysterious, and tall. His wings are black, to match his hair and eyes. Up until about 6 months ago, we were simply friends. Then, things got complicated. They always do for us. Now, we can't talk much saying something awkward or embarrassing.

Iggy is 14, too. He is blind for those of you who didn't already catch that. He can cook better than just about anybody in the world, definitely better than anybody in the flock. He's an expert lock picker and can bust into any house, room, or building under a minute or your money back guaranteed. Iggy can see, sometimes, when everything is white. He can also tell what color things are by touching them and always let's us know, in case we forgot our eyesight at home…again.

The motor mouth of the flock is Nudge. She's 11 and growing up to be just like the rest of us. She's spunky, witty, and smart. Nudge can attract magnets with her finger tips, I know it's random. She can also tell what happened in a certain spot by touching an object there. Her wings are a darker brown, to match her skin. She almost never shut up and loves to talk about everything from her feelings to the weather to Spain to puppies.

Gazzy is 8 and a total trouble maker. In his free time, he likes to make bombs with Iggy and cause mayhem. His power is…well, I'm not exactly sure. He can make his farts, like, radio active or something. He's sweet when he wants to be and loves his little sister, Angel, to bits. They're the only blood related flock members. Even though Gazzy's only 8, he tries to be as big and brave as Fang and Iggy. He normally succeeds, too.

The last 'human' in our flock is Angel. She's 6 and my baby. Not actually my baby, but I love her as if she were my own kid. It isn't that I love her more, but I just feel a better connection with her than I do to most of the others, disincluding Fang. She has about 4,000 abilities. She can read minds, control minds, breathe under water, talk to fish, change into a bird girl (like, with feathers), and change into an actual bird. Angel has a stuffed bear, Celeste, and she never lets it out of her sight. The bear used to be white and a light blue halo and matching wings, but now it looks like a grizzly bear it's so disgustingly brown.

Next are Total and Akila. Our dogs. Total can talk and has tiny wings growing out of his back. Akila, thank God, can't talk. She's a malamute that Total is totally in love with. Total is a weird talking Scottie.

We've all been in through hell and back, at least once. First, there was the School, where we were held captive for the first 10 years of my life. Then there was Jeb, our savior/dead father/betrayer/Voice-in-my-head/whatever-he-is-now. Then there was the time Angel got kidnapped by the Erasers. Erasers were a half human half wolf recombinant life form. I say were because they weren't good enough and ended up getting 'retired.' Then, Fang was almost killed by Ari, an Eraser, and we went to live with Anne. As it turns out, Anne was on Itex's side. There was also the time when Fang and I got into that huge fight about Ari and split up the flock. There was a huge battle in Germany and Ari, the Eraser and my half brother, died. And our last adventure. We went to Antarctica to save the world and got captured by the Uber Director, who was worse than the first one. The government tried to build us a school and we ran. Which pretty much brings us up to par.

We've been on the run for 3 days, trying to stay away from the government. Easier said than done. So far, my Voice (not Jeb, the new one) has us running across the mid-west. Nothing has happened, but apparently, we were running from something…something totally secret.

I stood up, slowly stretching out my sore back muscles. Fang smiled at me quickly and my heart…NO. My heart did absolutely nothing, nothing, nothing. I do not act strangely around Fang and don't accuse me of such thank you. Okay, so maybe I'm denying it, but it's…complicated to say the least.

"Morning. Why didn't you wake up Iggy or I last night? You look half dead." Fang pointed out kindly. I shrugged, stifled a yawn, and walked over to the dying fire. The truth was that I didn't want to sleep. For the last few nights, if I think too much and sleep, I wake up in a cold sweat with haunting nightmares on my mind.

"Max, you know, I'm almost 12. I can do a watch every now and then. I could even watch Gazzy and Angel if you guys want to go into town. Or, you know, Iggy wants to go visit Ella. Cause he misses her a lot. Or if you and Fang want a night out or something. I'm more than capable of taking a watch." I stopped her. If Fang and I wanted a night out? Iggy misses Ella? Geez, how that child can babble about nothing in particular. Iggy's ears had flushed bright red and I saw him pinch Nudge, who yelped.

"I do not miss Ella! And maybe we don't let you take any watches because you can't keep that over-sized yap of theirs shut!" Iggy said. I rolled my eyes. I knew Ella and he had a thing. Ella had told me on the phone to say hi to Iggy. When I asked why him especially. She finally confirmed what I had thought. Iggy and Ella had been dating secretly whenever we visited.

"Yeah, sure, Ig. Com on, can't I at least watch these two? Go away for an hour or two. I promise when you come back, this place will be totally packed and clear, as if we've never been here." Nudge pleaded. I'm guessing that if she weren't afraid to get her favorite new pants all gross and dirty, she actually would have gotten down on her knees and begged.

"Fine, fine. We will go into town for an hour exactly. When the three of us get back, I want this place spotless, are we clear?" Fang asked, glancing uncertainly at Angel. He looked at me and mouthed 'puppy dog eyes,' which made me roll _my _eyes. Never the less, the three oldest stomped out of the clearing, me least happy.

Nudge wasn't old enough to watch a mind controller and Gazzy. I stomped away angrily with Fang and Iggy, looking back over my shoulder at the camp. We would come back and see that she couldn't handle it, just watch.

**Don't worry, this isn't all going to be about Nudge and her growing up (although that will be one of the many side problems). Please review, please, please, please, please, please. You can't ignore that many pleases.**


	2. Chapter 2

I kept getting good ideas for this story last night

**I kept getting good ideas for this story last night. Here's the next chapter. Sorry that Max is a bit OOC, but it seems funnier this way.**

Chapter 2

Max's POV

Iggy, Fang and I went into town, me grumbling unhappily the entire way.

I saw the grocery store, music store, book store, and hardware store. We could use things from each one. But, no, I was dragged into the video store. Why? We don't have a TV. But, two strong guys over power one strong Maximum Ride.

"Why are we here? We don't even have a television!" I angrily muttered as Fang read movie summaries to Iggy.

"Because, Max, this is what guys do. If you're going to drag us into a book, music, or shoe store, then we're dragging you in here." Iggy said. I rolled my eyes and decided to make this worth my while.

"Fine. Ella's birthday is coming up soon and not only does she want a book she's been dying for, I think it's called Gossip Girl, but she's having a formal party. I'll need a dress and shoes." Fang stared at me and Iggy covered his laugh with a cough. I walked away to the romance section. I could always get their opinions on a good chick flick to watch. I slowly looked at random titles until one in particular caught my eye. _The Notebook._ Hmmm, I bet the guys want to give me their opinions on this one.

"Guys, what about this one? I think Ella made Iggy watch it last time we saw them. Any opinions?" I waved the cover in front of Fang. Iggy cringed, remembering the movie.

"Oh, yeah, it's great. Really good movie. The part where he kisses her…favorite scene of all time." Fang said rolling his eyes. I sent him an Evil and he stuck out his tongue. I walked away and set the movie back.

"Okay, we're done. We need food and new writing software for the laptop." I grabbed Iggy and Fang's arms and pulled them out of the store. Steering them towards the book store (where they sell computer hardware), I walked through the town square. They followed obediently. Fang was probably thinking about what games he could buy. Courtesy of my Maximum Ride card, of course.

About an hour later, we were headed back to camp. Our arms were full of bags. I had gotten a new pair of sneakers for everybody. We had a bunch of bags filled with food. I had gotten a new program for writing my chapters for our dear James Patterson. Fang and Iggy had found this awesome looking game, Zoo Tycoon 2, which we can all play.

We flew back to camp slowly, biding the younger kids clean up time. Finally, my muscles were straining from the weight and camp came into view.

Actually, I would have had no idea that it was camp if I hadn't seen Total and Akila. It was spotless. Not even an ash from our fire. Angel, Nudge, and Gazzy were sitting quietly by the cave entrance, playing a card game. They looked totally innocent. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought they spent the whole hour cleaning.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my flock?" I asked. Nudge looked up; as if she hadn't known we landed.

"Why, Max, I have no idea what you're talking about. We've been cleaning since you left." Nudge said innocently. I rolled my eyes and Fang stifled a laugh.

"No, Max, we really did. It looks great, doesn't it?" Angel added for her own benefit. I nodded sarcastically, but let the subject drop. We split the groceries up into the backpacks and left the spotless camp.

Nudge's POV

Max, Fang, and Iggy had just left the clearing. Angel and Gazzy were playing homemade Mancala. Total and Akila were sitting by the fire.

"Guys, let's make this-" I didn't get to continue and say that we should make the camp look great for Max because a bunch of Go-Bots dropped I on our merry camp, "Okay, standard fight or flight. Who votes flight?" I decided. Nobody raised their hands so we decided to fight.

I flung myself at one of the three conveniently placed Go-Bots. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Angel and Gazzy do the same, but soon lost track of them. I wasn't holding up well and figured the others couldn't be either. I felt a sharp pain in my back and fell to my knees, crying out in agony. My hands were caught roughly and bound behind my back. Something sticky, probably duct tape, was set across my mouth. Just before the shoved me into a black sack, I saw two streaks of blonde and a streak of dark brown. What was that all about?

3rd Person POV

Nudge, Total, Gazzy, and Angel were all captured and thrown into matching black body bags. Replacing them were their clones, Total's freshly made. Nudge's was a new and improved version, she could babble like nobody's business. Angel's couldn't read mind perfectly, but could see the general idea of a thought. Gazzy's had a digestive problem. Total II also thought Akila was the most amazing thing in the world.

Go-Bots helped them clean the clearing until it shined, before leaving. They were headed to the secret facility, in the mountains, to be de-winged.

Akila barked and barked, but couldn't help her new love.

Angel and Gazzy, so young still, were separated from Nudge, the temporary oldest, the leader. What could they do? They were gagged, tied, and bagged. Now, they have no choice but to wait for the others. Would they be saved in time?

Max's POV

There was something strange going on, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Angel hadn't interrupted my thoughts in a few hours. Gazzy wasn't mimicking me. Nudge was babbling, but not loudly.

"Max, I think something is wrong." Iggy flew up beside me and whispered. I nodded then remembered he was blind.

"Yeah, I think so too, Ig. Let's land for the rest of the day and observe them." I turned to Fang to see him staring intently at Angel, "Fang, are you okay?" he looked at me blankly before it registered that I had spoken to him.

"No, we have to land…now." He stated. I nodded and banked. We set gently on the ground a few minutes later. Akila sniffed the damp ground and finally settled onto a semi dry patch of grass.

"Max, why did we stop? Are we already making camp? I'm hungry, can I have some food?" Nudge asked. I shook my head.

"Nope, sorry, Nudge. Nobody is moving until I find out exactly what's going on." I said, putting my hands firmly on my hips. She stared at me, blinking quickly. She looked at Angel, Gazzy, and finally Total, then looked back at me and shook her head.

"Max, nothing's wrong. What could be wrong? Can we please eat lunch?" Nudge confirmed my theory. Angel looked at me, like my Angel, yet different. There it was, the sign. It was tiny but there. Her hair, it was a slightly lighter shade. Gazzy's farts weren't putrid smelling. Nudge's wings were a shade too dark. Total looked a little too big.

Clones. Yes, in my life, a clone was actually a probability.

"No, I don't know who you are, but you aren't Nudge. And you aren't Gazzy or Angel or Total. Leave, now, tell your bosses we're on our way for our real family. Tell them that they had better not be harmed otherwise your bosses are dead. Am I making myself clear?" I said angrily, taking her bag and throwing it down. Fang grabbed 'Angel' by the forearm and stomped her across the clearing. Iggy pushed Gazzy along. When I pushed Nudge's shoulder, she didn't budge. I pushed harder and she pushed back.

"Move, now." I roared in her ear. She stared into the woods. Finally, I lunged at her. She counter attacked skillfully. I punched at her with all my might until she finally went down.

"Max, calm down. We'll find them." Fang came up behind me. I pushed him away. I grabbed 'Nudge' by the collar and hauled her to where the other two took off from.

"Now, I want you three to leave. Leave and never bother me and my family again. If I ever see you again, then you won't live through our fight. Got that?" I said. She nodded meekly and took off. I fumed as I watched her and finally turned to the only people left.

"So, what do we do now?" Iggy asked. I glanced at Akila, laying motionless on the ground, asleep.

"First, we can't do anything with her," I indicated the large malamute, "We can bring her to Arizona. Then, we go find our family." I decided.

_Max, you'd better hurry. They don't have much time left. Leave the dog where she is. I'm in the area. I can get her to Dr. Martinez. _I nodded, still upset.

"Okay, scratch that. Leave Akila. The Voice is in the area he slash she will get her." I said. They nodded. Iggy grabbed some food, left it in front of her and we left, sad and broken.

**I honestly had no idea that this was where this story was going. Please review and tell me what you think. I like this story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, I liked this chapter when I first wrote it, but liked it even more once my new betas Amaya24 and Maximum Ride 101. Please read the bottom AN, it's really important.**

Max's POV

We flew in silence for hours, going on directions from my Voice. I liked  
traveling with these two-- not under the current circumstances, but in  
general-- because they were quiet. They didn't mind me leading, or flying for hours.  
They held up well.  
Slowly and uncertainly, we made a small camp for the night. It was in a  
random field in the middle of nowhere. We didn't want to destroy the area,  
so Iggy didn't bother lighting a fire.  
"I'll take the first watch. You two go to bed." I said. Fang and Iggy  
nodded, tired from our long flight. I took off and flew in a low circle around  
the camp. I wasn't tired at all, and felt that I could see better in  
the sky.  
Slowly, I flew in wider arcs, going just a little faster. I felt panicky that  
I was missing half my family. I was anxious to leave again, but wanted to be  
fully energized for when we did find them.  
_Please, please, please, let them be okay. Just give me a sign, God. Just so I  
know I'll see them again._  
I felt a presence fall in step (or flight) next to me and was about to tell  
Fang to stop sneaking up on me when I looked over.  
It wasn't Fang. Or Iggy. Or anybody that I loved for that matter. She was  
vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place where I knew her from.  
"Who are you? How did you find me? Stay away. I can kill. Consider this  
your warning." I snapped at her.  
"Oh, I know you can, Max. I know more about you than you could possibly  
imagine." She said. I stared at her and had to remember to flap my  
wings. I looked at her again. Her wings! They looked like mine!  
"How do you know me?" I asked, more cautiously than before. She could be  
very dangerous if what she was saying was true. It more than likely wasn't,  
but she was probably still dangerous. She looked it. She looked lethal and  
deadly; she gave off a 'touch me and die' vibe.  
"I'm you, Max." Well, when she said that, I just about dropped out of the sky.  
Luckily, she caught me just in the nick of time. 'Max' was strong, like me.  
"Wait, how am I meeting you then? Are you like an alternate universe me or  
something?" I asked from her muscled arms, since I didn't think I could fly  
after that bomb being dropped.  
"No. I see I developed that sense of humor when I was young. I'm an older  
you. It's sort of like your new power. You can summon older and younger  
versions of yourself." Max said with confidence.  
What she was saying was actually plausible. I mean, if being replaced by a  
clone is a legitimate concern, then I guess meeting the future 'you' should be  
too, right?  
"Wait, so you're my new power? Is this the strange sign from God that I asked  
for?" I asked her, looking into her brown eyes. (Yes, somebody pointed out  
to me that Max's eyes were, in fact, brown.) She nodded, happy I was finally  
up to speed.

"Yup, basically. So, I'm here to tell you that yes, you will see them  
again. But, great sacrifices will be made," I looked so sad in the future.  
"I'm also here to help a little. Now, I know that you-- we-- I have a  
temper, so just listen to me with an open mind." She waited for my  
response.  
"Okay, fine, whatever. I'll keep an 'open mind'." I said, using actual air  
quotes.  
"Well, then, you will see your flock united again. But, disaster follows  
you six where ever you go and it can't last. Your leadership skills will  
be put to the test and you'll lose at least one person. Then, one day,  
you'll end up like this." She said. Suddenly, she wasn't there. I was  
back at camp, sitting near where Fang and Iggy slept peacefully.  
Well, if that wasn't foreboding then I didn't know what was. So, my new  
power was summoning any version of me: past, present, or future. Now, my  
future self was giving me cryptic prophecies. But, was I dreaming? And if I  
was, could I trust my dream? It could be just another ploy created by Itex or  
the government. That seemed most likely to me. But, if it wasn't, then this  
was a huge, note sarcasm, help. If I had a nickel for every time somebody told  
me that I wouldn't see my flock again, I'd be rich.  
But, being totally hypothetical of course, what would happen if I summoned me,  
as I am right now? Could I, like, implode?  
_Voice?_ I asked quietly in my head.  
_Yes, Max?_ The reply came quickly, as if the voice was waiting for me.  
_Can you explain this new power to me? I'm not sure I get it. Like, what are  
the limitations and stuff?_ I asked very fast, in case the voice left me.  
_Well, you can summon any form --past, present, or future-- of yourself and  
others, as long as they aren't dead in the period you are trying to summon  
them from. Yes, there are limits._  
_For example, you have to be in contact with the person you're trying to reach,  
in the period you're trying to get them from. They can't tell you what's going to  
happen; that'd be too easy. They can give you clues, though, like future Max  
did._ The voice answered me in its monotonous voice. I nodded as if it cleared  
everything up. I basically understood.  
"Max? Are you okay?" Fang asked, rubbing his dark eyes. I nodded then  
realized it was too dark to see it.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Come here for a minute," I patted the hard ground next  
to me. He moved over and sat down. "I got a new power!" I told him in  
hushed tones. He looked at me incredulously before smiling.  
"Really? What is it?" He asked, fully awake now. I told him and his smile  
grew wider. I liked that smile-- it lit up the dark night.  
"I hope it can be helpful somehow. I don't know how some of these powers  
are going to help us." I pointed out. He nodded.  
"Like Angel's 'transforming', Total's wings, and Iggy feeling colors." Fang  
said, voicing exactly what I was thinking.

"Yeah. I miss them so much. We'll find them, right?" I asked. He automatically  
knew what I meant and nodded.  
"Yes, of course we will. We'll all be reunited in no time at all." He said  
gently. I rested my head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around me. I  
breathed deeply, taking in his scent. We stayed like that for a long time,  
until the sun rose in front of us.

Angel's POV  
I woke up, dazed and disoriented. Looking around slowly, I saw I was in a dark  
room. It was dimly lit by a good sized opening under the door, although the  
opening wasn't big enough for me to squeeze through. I saw Total twitching in  
his sleep to my right, Nudge sleeping in front of me, and Gazzy snoring to my  
left.  
"Gaz, Nudge, Total, wake up. We have to get out of here." I whispered  
into the dark.  
_Please, wake up. Max is going to be so worried._ I sent the thought to them.  
Nudge sent me no answer.  
_Aw, Ange, but this place is so comfy. Please, let's stay a little longer.  
Besides how can Max miss us if she's right here?_ Gazzy answered. He must have  
been dreaming because he wasn't making much sense. I sighed.  
_No, Gazzy, you're dreaming. Please wake up._ I responded quickly.  
_Angel? Angel?! Where are we?_ Total's thoughts were panicked and almost  
incoherent.  
_I don't know, Total. Help me wake up Gazzy and Nudge so we can think of  
something._ I kicked in Nudge's direction, not quite reaching her. Instead I  
moved closer to Gazzy. I poked him and he pushed my hand away.  
"Come on, Gaz. Please wake up. I need you. Please get UP!" I whispered into  
his ear. He finally opened his eyes and looked at me, clarity filling his  
face.  
"Ange, where are we?" He asked me, pushing himself up on his hands. I  
shrugged.  
"I don't know, but we have to get out. Help me and Total wake up Nudge." I  
grabbed his hand and heaved him to his feet. Soon enough, all four of us were  
standing.

Nudge's POV  
We searched the walls carefully for a way out. I had found a flashlight by the  
door; probably left for us to find. Other than that, there was nothing. No  
knotholes, windows, cracks, or secret doors; only the real door, with no  
doorknob on the inside. And it was definitely locked. Our only hope was to  
wait and see if Max, Ig, and Fang could save us.  
Suddenly, the light from the doorway widened and lit the small room. A white  
coat stood in the door way. He smiled menacingly at us and drew closer.  
"Little piggies, little piggies, let me in." A voice familiar to Angel, Total,  
and I cooed from the door. Omega. He stood behind the white coat with a  
menacing smirk on his face. I put on my best 'go die' face and stared at him  
defiantly. He smirked and strode over.  
"Ah, it's Nudge, right?" He asked almost tenderly. I made no answer and set my  
jaw. "I'll take that as a yes. So, you can either tell me where Max is, or we can beat it out of you." He stroked my cheek and I cringed. His fingers were cold and smooth.  
"I will never tell you anything. And don't touch me." I put steel in every  
word I said, looking up into his silvery eyes. He shook his head, as if this  
news was a disappointment to him.  
"Oh, such a shame. You're such a pretty little thing, too. Who knows, maybe  
once they're done with you, Marian will let me have you." His breath was close  
and nauseating on my cheek. I ignored it, although my stomach was twisted into  
knots, and stared straight ahead.  
He set his finger firmly under my chin and forced my face up to his. I tried  
to resist him, but his power was immense. I shut my eyes in terror, not  
believing that my first kiss would be with someone who tried to kill Max on numerous accounts.  
"Omega. I told you that you could have the bird girl when I was done with them,  
and not a second sooner. Back off now, you moron. And take them all, to Lab  
7." Marian Janssen said from the door way.  
Oh, thank God. Omega backed away and I collapsed, whimpering, next Angel and  
Gazzy. Angel hugged me tightly as we were led through the halls to Lab 7.

**Okay, so now for my news. I'm trying to focus on writing my stories, like, with my characters and stuff. So, all my stories are taking a break, like spring break. But, I will still be writing this and will try to put up new chapters when I can. Please R&R! I'll need reviews, happiness, and random chatter when the writer's block strikes.**


	4. Chapter 4

Okay…I had NO idea how screwed up the spacing got last chapter

**Okay…I had NO idea how screwed up the spacing got last chapter! I'm so sorry! Okay, so…whatever.**

Chapter 4

Max's POV

We flew for hours, with no sign of our missing family. We were silent almost the entire way. I couldn't believe how well the guys were holding up. I was starving, but not about to cave first.

_Okay, go about seventeen more degrees north. Then, in fifteen minutes, turn true east. _The Voice barged into my spiel. I nodded to nobody in particular and adjusted my body according to the Voice's directions. The other two followed suit wordlessly.

Finally, hungry and tired, we stopped and made camp for the night. Iggy started a small fire while Fang and I got some canned food out of our bags.

"So, where are we going exactly, Max?" Fang asked as we dug through the bags. I shrugged casually.

"I'm not sure. The Voice isn't being too specific, but without it, I don't know where we would be." I told him honestly. When it was only the three of us, I could be pretty open about my uncertainty.

"So, we're trusting an anonymous voice in your head to help us find our family?" Iggy pointed out my insanity from across the clearing.

"Yeah, basically. I mean, what other choice do we have?" I asked rhetorically. Iggy shrugged and went back to starting the fire. I found a can of ravioli and handed it to him to cook.

_Max, you don't have time to make camp. Eat quickly, rest for an hour and leave again. They're almost out of time. _My stomach dropped to my toes when the Voice said this. I gasped and pulled the can away from Iggy. He looked at me like I was one hundred percent insane, which I very well may have been.

"We have to leave. The Voice says they don't have much time. We're going to have to eat on the way." I opened the can quickly and handed it back to him. Fang and Iggy were still staring at me, but Iggy took the can and grabbed a fork anyway. We put out the fire and slung our bags onto ours backs. Then, we took off, going on an insane person's directions.

Gazzy's POV

The pain shot through my back and up the back of my head. I tried to move my hands up to my head to protect it, but found it was impossible to move at all. I groaned inwardly, praying that the brain explosions hadn't passed on from Max to me. I felt like puking, then dying.

"How is he doing? It wasn't looking too good for him for a while. Are his stats any better?" Somebody asked behind me. I heard a faint, irregular beeping and machines whirring around me.

"No, it doesn't look too good. His heartbeat is too fast and he went into cardiac arrest last night. We aren't sure if he'll pull through. The Boss wants us to run a few last tests. Let's get him hooked up to an EKG machine to see how his heart is. There may be a little hope left for him." Another person -- a woman this time -- said. Were they talking about me? They must have been. I struggled to move, but it didn't work.

There was a sharp poke in my arm as a needle went in and I attempted a totally pathetic growl. It sounded more like a dying kitten. Colors swam before my eyes, psychedelic patterns invading my vision. Suddenly, it stopped. The world went dark. There was no more pain in my back or head. There wasn't any feeling at all.

Nudge's POV

My back itched horribly, one of those deep down, hard to get itches. I tried to scratch it, but couldn't move. I struggled harder and harder, with no give.

"What's she doing?" A voice came from above my head. I tried to look up and see who it was, but, like before, I couldn't even turn my head.

"She's waking up. This one is doing much better than the boy. She has a good chance of living. Careful now." A woman said. Pressure was lifted from my arms and I started to wiggle my fingers. I immediately moved my hand to my back to scratch my wings, the place where the itch was coming from.

"Don't move. You'll only make it worse." A familiar voice said to me. I opened and my and, low and behold, there stood Valencia Martinez. Also known as Dr M, Dr Martinez, or Max's mom.

"Dr M? What are you doing here? I thought you were one of the good guys." I said, my brown eyes growing wider as I took in the room. There was a man, a woman, and Dr M. The room was white and boring. I was lying on a hard, cold metal table on top of a thin white sheet.

About a million different machines lined the four plain walls. I was hooked up to most of them. The most shocking part was that, maybe five feet away on either side, were Angel and Gazzy. I had no idea where Total was or anything else, for that matter. And where were Max, Fang and Iggy? Would I ever see them again?

I looked back towards my right, where Angel was. She looked at me, her big, blue eyes wide with fear.

_Dr. M isn't on our side, Nudge. And I don't think Gazzy is okay. _She sent the thought into my head. Only the first part registered. I didn't let the rest of it make sense. Gazzy was okay; he was Gazzy.

"Oh, Nudge, sweetie, I _am _one of the good guys. One of the best actually. And you should be happy. I made you normal. Now you can go home and live a normal life, with your parents. That's what you've always dreamt of, right?" Dr M said sweetly. Her voice still had that motherly tone it always did, but now I noticed a sharp, painful edge that had never been there before.

"What do you mean, you made me normal?" I asked narrowing my eyes. I had a feeling I knew what she meant, but I didn't like it.

"Your wings… they're gone. We've removed them. Now, you're free to live with your families and go to school and have a normal life. We're even working on finding your parents for you." Dr M said walking over and petting my hair, as if I were a dog. I pushed her hand away, none too gently.

"But, what about Max and Fang…and Iggy?" Angel asked. She was no doubt thinking about Iggy; how much he'd wanted a family, how horrible his turned out to be, and that little episode he had thrown on the street.

"Well, they're going to try and rescue you. Then we'll take care of them, too. Max will come home with me. Of course, you guys can too. I just figured that you'd want to be with your real families." Dr M noted.

"What about Gazzy? Is he okay?" I asked, my eyes moving towards him quickly. He didn't look like it. He was pale and his chest was rising unevenly. He did not look good at all. Dr M shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go pick up a dog." She said, heading for the door. I watched her leave with a sinking feeling in my stomach.

**Guess what dog she has to go get? We all know and love her…actually not that many people do love her. I don't, she's kinda dead weight. I promise the story gets pretty good from here on out. Although I did work it out in my head, there will be at the most fifteen more chapters. At the ultimate most!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Little mini flashback to about four days ago…**

Chapter 5

3rd Person POV

Doctor Martinez walked briskly down a hall, idly flipping through some papers. Nothing really caught her attention; these were papers that she'd looked over a hundred times before.

Suddenly, Dr M spotted something she had never noticed before. N88034gnh. Weren't those Nudge's numbers? She read the whole paper twice through, hardly believing every word she read. How could she not have seen this page before? It read:

"_N88034gnh, also known as 'Nudge' or 'Subject Seven.' The only truly successful hybrid in existance. No estimated expiration date. Abilities include: mind-reading and control, talking to animals, changing appearance of herself and others, flight, psychometric abilities, magnetism, control of the elements, super strength, and super speed. The majority of Subject Seven's abilities are expected to appear later in life, in her mid-teens. Unlike her other 'flock mates', Subject Seven is expected to lay eggs rather than live young. She is expected to have a life span of over two hundred years. Subject Seven is dark skinned with tan russet_-"

Dr M stopped reading. She didn't need to go any further. Nudge was expected to live that long? With all those powers?

"Jesus," She whispered to herself. Now, the only question left was; could this benefit her?

"Omega!" Valencia called into a walkie talkie in her hand. It sizzled, and his voice came through a second later.

"Yes, Boss?" His voice was loud and clear. She pressed a button and talked into the receiver.

"Meet me in my office ASAP." She let it go and waited for his response.

"But I thought you wanted me to take care of the Director first." He said. Val rolled her eyes.

"Forget the woman. No, don't forget her. Take care of her and meet me in my office in fifteen minutes. Got it?" She barked into the device. A plan was already formulating in her head. She turned around and rushed back through the halls she'd just left.

Her office was bright and official looking. A cedar desk took up most of the room, while bookshelves lined the walls, cut out around the windows and door. She took a seat in her large, black swiveling leather chair and waited. Not even two minutes later, Omega knocked on the door.

"Come in, Omega." She said. He entered and sat down gracefully in the chair in front of the desk. Her hands were folded on her lap and she removed them to get the paper.

Dr M pushed it to him and he picked it up hesitantly. Omega's eyes flew over the page, reading it thoroughly, his lips mouthing the words as he read. As he finished the page, he looked up her, his eyes full of devious ideas.

"Get Gozen. And find Max II. Bring them here as soon as you've found them and _tell them nothing_." Val added hastily. Omega nodded and left with one last look at the page.

About a half hour later, Gozen and Max's clone entered the room.

"Ah, hello. I have an assignment for you. Max, get the clones for the others and bring them all to Lab Nine. I'll take care of it form there. Gozen, gather a team of your three best GoBots and send them to these coordinates. Don't let them leave until I give the order." Gozen nodded, took the paper she handed him, and left. Max left a few minutes later, after being told the plan. She snuck around the outside of the building and walked into the cabin she shared with the other clones.

"Hey, Max. What did the boss want?" Clone Nudge asked, standing up and making her bed quickly. Max smiled evilly, a look her true self had never quite mastered to its full potential. Clone Fang stood up and backed up a bit upon seeing the look.

"We have a mission. Follow me," Max said. Everybody stood up, "Oops, sorry. I only need the Flock II. Maybe next time, guys." Max said, looking sadly at Sam, Lissa, Ari, and Jeb II. They sighed and sat back down on the hard cots.

"They never need us." Sam muttered as the 'flock' left the room. Max smiled and led the flock to Lab Nine, where they would be perfected. Or at least that's what Max II had been told.

These were Second Generation Clones. More accurate and life like, they were almost perfect. Iggy II (or would he be Iggy III?) was actually not blind; cameras filled his eye sockets, although you couldn't tell just by looking at him.

The clones were perfected to the best of the scientists' ability. They knew they couldn't recreate the originals' abilities, but they did their best. The rest was up to the clones.

When it was all over a few hours later, Dr M buzzed Gozen and he answered almost immediately.

"Yes?" His not-quite human voice sounded a little more human through the walkie talkie.

"Okay, we're ready. You're not to leave until I get there, understand?" Dr M spoke into the small black machine. She looked at the clones and nodded. They stood up and humbly followed her through the halls. The small force of GoBots met up with the six clones out in front of the top secret facility. Together, they all left, leaving Dr M and Gozen coughing in the dust of the vans.

A day later, the GoBots returned with a disoriented Nudge, Angel, Gazzy, and Total.

**Sorry, this took so long. Amaya started school and my computer is on-and-off crashy. So, things will be slow on the update level for a while. Although, I can promise the wait is well worth it!**


	6. Chapter 6

I'll save it for the end

Chapter 6

Max's POV

My wings throbbed, and my arms were sore.

"Max, I'm exhausted. Can we please take a break?" Iggy complained behind me. I sighed. To be honest, I definitely wanted to take a break, but I couldn't. Every second counted.

"Max, come on. All three of us are tired. We're no use to the kids if we're about to fall asleep flying. Come on, let's land." Fang said, flying up next to me.

"Fine, fine, we'll just throw away all hope of ever seeing them. But, really, I am exhausted." I was about to say more when an explosion of pain fizzled out my thoughts. I gripped my head and, without thinking, tucked my wings in. I plummeted to the ground, in too much pain to even call the guys for help. A white light shone behind my eyelids and suddenly, my falling got slower and slower. I wasn't in danger of going splat anymore, even though I would have welcomed it.

"Oh God, what the hell happened?" I murmured, afraid too much noise would cause more pain.

"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me." Fang said softly from next to me. I didn't respond since another burst of pain exploded inside my head. I sucked breath in sharply through my teeth and I felt Fang's grip on me tighten a little. We landed, but he didn't put me down.

"Fang, put me down." I whimpered.

"I don't think you can even stand, Max." He said, pulling me onto his lap. I opened one eye and saw that worry actually clouded over his well-developed features.

"No, me neither, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sick. So if you don't want me to blow chunks all over you --and I'm sure you don't-- set me down somewhere soft. Please." He put me down by a bush, thank God, and rubbed my back as I barfed my can of ravioli all over the innocent bush.

"All better?" He asked once I was done. I nodded weakly and curled up in a ball on the hard ground.

"Yeah, I'll be better in the morning. It was only exhaustion, that's all. I'll be better once I've slept." I whispered through clenched teeth. I hoped that's all it was. What if the brain explosions were coming back? Or worse, what if I was dying? I guess I'd just have to wait and see.

3rd Person POV

Max was mid-thought when all of a sudden, she started to lose altitude…and quickly. Fang didn't even have to process any thought before he dove after her. She was moaning softly and had her hands clamped tightly over her head.

"Ig, follow her voice." Fang said just loud enough that Iggy would hear it. He swept down below the free-falling mutant and caught her, his breath leaving him in a small _oof._ As quickly and steadily as Fang could, he brought Max down to the ground. They were still a good three hundred feet from the ground when Max spoke.

"What the hell happened?" Max spoke, her hands still clutching her head as if when she let go it would all unravel.

"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me." Fang said. He tried to calm his voice down, suppress his emotions, but wasn't sure if he hid it all. Max sucked in breath quickly and a small moan escaped her lips. Fang tightened his grip and landed cautiously.

"Fang, put me down." Max said sounding as weak and vulnerable as Fang had ever heard her.

"I don't think you can even stand, Max." Fang said softly, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. She was on his lap, hugged close to his warm chest. Iggy landed silently beside him and stood back a little, giving her room.

"No, me neither, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sick. So if you don't want me to blow chunks all over you --and I'm sure you don't-- set me down somewhere soft. Please." Max said slowly. He nodded and helped her over to a bush. Avoiding the sight before him, Fang rubbed Max's back as she puked.

He'd once heard that's what a real man would do when the woman he loved was sick. And if there were three things Fang was sure of it was this: 1) He was a man, or close to it. 2) Max was almost a woman. 3) Max was definitely sick. And there was one thing Fang was ninety percent confident about: he was in love with Max. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud. He could barely admit it to himself.

"All better?" Fang asked once Max sat up.

"Yeah, I'll be better in the morning. It was only exhaustion, that's all. I'll be better once I've slept." Max nodded and curled up into a tiny ball. He absently stroked her arm, very lightly, until she fell asleep.

Then, gently moving her closer to the fire, he sat down by Iggy, keeping one eye on Max.

"Is she going to be okay?" Iggy asked. _God, I hope so. _Fang couldn't get past her face when she'd discovered that the kids had been kidnapped. It was horror stricken, sad, terrifying, worried, and, dare he say it? Scared.

"I don't know, Ig. I really hope so. I don't know what we'll do if she isn't." _I don't know what _I'll_ do. _

Not even thirty miles away, Nudge, Angel, Gazzy, and Total were in hell. Gazzy had never been in so much agony in his entire life. Angel hated watching her favorite boy in the whole universe like this. Total wasn't with any of his family. And Nudge, poor, innocent, young Nudge, was in the worst spot out of any of them.

"Now, dear Nudge, will you stay here with Omega and I, or will you die?" She was deep in conversation with Dr Martinez, given two terrible choices and forced to choose. Omega was pacing, antsy, next to the Boss's chair.

"I'd die before I stay with you." She spat in Dr M's face. Valencia simply wiped it away. Omega turned and jumped in her face.

"Oh, trust me; I can make you change your mind. I can assure you of that. And respect the Boss. At least she's giving you a choice. I wouldn't be so kind." Nudge winced at his words and he backed off, satisfied with himself.

"Well, I'm not changing my mind. I'd rather die than stay with you." Nudge directed the words at Omega. She had guts, more guts than even the flock knew of. Nudge was a brave, strong kid and she wasn't afraid to say what she felt.

"Fine, have it your way. I can kill you without even trying. I'll see to it that I'm the one to take care of you." Omega snapped. Nudge's knees locked and she couldn't move. Words from Omega she could handle, but threats were scary, especially from somebody who meant them.

"I thought you didn't have any emotions?" Nudge pointed out once she could breath evenly again.

"That was the old Omega. I am a new breed. Living, full of emotion, like you urchins, only…way better. And, my emotions still don't get in my way. All my flaws have been programmed out of me, so I'm virtually indestructible." Omega said with a soft look at Nudge.

"Now, Nudge, please focus on the topic at hand. We're giving you a choice that not even your beloved Maximum Ride would receive. You have assets that not even you know about. Nudge, you could be greater than the most well-known celebrity who has ever lived. You could run the world one day." Dr M, Valencia, the Boss, whatever you'd like to call her, said to Nudge. She gaped, wide-eyed and horror struck, back as her response.


	7. Chapter 7

Everybody, give a round of applause for OC's

**Hey, thanks to everybody who's been reviewing while I was temporarily out of commission. I won't keep you long, because apparently people actually like this story. So, faithful readers and reviewers, read and review on!**

Chapter 7

Surprise POV

I carefully studied the three remaining members of the Flock, only a few feet away. The girl, Max, was on the ground, asleep and in pain. The dark and silent one was talking to the blind boy, who was eating something from a can.

_I'm sorry, Max, but it was all part of the plan. _I thought to myself as I silently made my way out of my hiding spot.

_Its okay, Eve, she'll forgive you…in time. And I should warn you, she won't trust you at first. It'll take time, as this whole plan will. _I nodded and made my way around an old spruce tree.

So, I'm Eve. I'm approximately 13 years of age. I was rescued by Jeb about five years ago, but I wasn't living with the flock. They don't know I exist, but they will soon. I lived with my parents until about three months ago. Then Jeb recruited me for a top secret mission. He lives in my head now and helps me along the way. My powers are as plentiful as the youngest, Angel's, and even more convenient. Among them are invisibility (very handy), super speed, element control, and shape shifting. I can alter anything about my appearance. There are more, but they're for a different time.

So, anyway, I slowly crept towards the three, staying visible so I didn't frighten them too much. Max looked at me as I approached; Fang and Iggy's eyes already locked on me. Oh yeah, did I mention that guys do tend to find me attractive?

"Hi, I'm Eve. I know this is really strange and probably one of the weirdest situations I've ever been in, but I have some…odd news." I said, clamping my hands in front of me so they could see them. Max studied me suspiciously.

"Who the hell are you?" Max asked with such hostility in her voice that I actually shied away. But I pressed on.

"Like I said, I'm Eve. Jeb sent me," Max bristled instantly, "He told me to help you. I know where they took your family. Please, I know you have a Voice in your head, Max... Don't listen. She's trying to lure you into a trap. She's trying to get you to come to her facility to do to you what she probably already did to the others." I said. I knew who 'she' was, but was told not to tell any of them unless I absolutely had to.

"How do you know that?" Max asked me skeptically. She stood up unsteadily, held upright by the tall, dark, and handsome one. Fang, I'm pretty sure.

"Jeb has an informer on the inside. Please. You have to trust me. I know this sounds insane, but please believe me. I can lead you safely to the others." I pleaded with the tall dirty blonde girl, noticing pink streaks in her hair that were in serious need of redoing.

She eyed me and I stood still, knowing it would be easier for all of us. I felt her eyes burn into me as she slowly circled around. Max wasn't in a predator's pose, which was good. Since Max was the alpha female, so to speak, she made the decisions as to who would join the flock. She needed to make sure I posed no threat to her family and, possibly, to assure I wouldn't threaten her role as leader.

"Okay, fine. You have one shot to prove yourself. If you can pass, then I'll allow you to do whatever you want, as long as you keep us a secret." She finally said, and my shoulders relaxed a little.

"Okay, I'll do it. What do I have to do?" I looked her in the eyes. She smiled and moved around the camp to grab something. A second later, she returned.

"Grab a can of grub. I like you. You're in." She smiled and led me to the fire.

Max's POV

I watched Eve closely, her thin frame shaking just the teensiest bit. She was wolfing down her fourth can of Spaghetti O's and didn't look like she would be slowing down anytime soon.

"Slow down. We have plenty; it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Unless Fang is as hungry as you." Iggy remarked after a few minutes, feeling our dwindling pile of cans.

"Sorry, but I haven't eaten in a few days. I'm starving." Eve replied around a mouthful of food. I smiled and looked over at Fang. I had barely felt him during my brain attack, although I knew he had been there. My head still hurt, but the pain was ebbing a little now.

"Fang, is there more Tylenol in your bag?" I asked after an especially painful moment. He nodded and picked through his bag for a heartbeat or two. Fang handed me the little bottle labeled _Ibuprofen _and I took out two little red pills. They uncomfortably slid down my throat without the aid of water.

"Okay, Eve, I hope you're ready. This is going to be the ride of your life." I said, about fifteen minutes and four more cans of food later. Eve looked excited. Her smile brightened her face. Her crystal-clear blue eyes even smiled. Everything about her screamed 'I'm ready and excited.'

"Let's go. I miss the chatter box." Iggy said, brushing some crumbs off his shirt as he stood up.

I heard Fang mutter, "Yeah, almost as much as you miss Ella," and smiled.

"I heard that Fang." Iggy retorted. We jumped into the air, our wings opening and shutting behind us. Eve's wings were spectacular. They were a marvelous tan color, but lighter than Nudge's. The edges were tipped with black and a few black feathers ran through the rest, like highlights. Her primaries were lighter and they darkened in color until the tip. I watched her for a few seconds and then took my place in the lead.

We'd just have to trust her until I could ask Angel about her.

3rd Person POV

Angel sat in the white room, trying futilely to dry her damp eyes. The wing removal had hurt so much... Every time she touched her back, another wave of terror, sadness, pain, and agony overcame her. She'd cry herself back to sleep, waking up with an itch, only to have the process start all over again.

Worse, all the minds in the building had been blocked. And then Nudge had disappeared. Angel assumed the worst.

And she could tell through the bars of the dog crate that Gazzy wasn't doing well. He was pale and unmoving. He'd whimper every now and then before settling back down to a silent sleep that gave Angel even more reason to worry.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded out in the hall. Angel heard them loud and clear.

"Angel, dear, good to see you. Would you like to come with me for a minute?" Angel recognized the voice instantly and fought against the crate. She held the door shut, pulling with all her might against the woman on the other side. The evil woman. Angel couldn't stand her. Anne Walker. Anne had gotten strong, though, and finally managed to pull Angel out of the crate.

Kicking and screaming and knocking things over, Angel was dragged down the hall to yet another exam room. The all-white interior made the child shiver from head to toe and she fought even harder. Her hands hooked onto the door frame, her feet planted firmly on the ground to keep her there, but it was to no avail. Angel was dragged in by a few more whitecoats and strapped unceremoniously to a cold metal table.

"Help! You idiots won't get away with this! Help! Max, Fang, and Iggy will all get here soon enough! Then you'll all be sorry you ever messed with my family." Angel cried with contempt. The whitecoats smiled sinisterly. Anne walked to her side brusquely.

"How can they? They're already here. You, my dear, are the last one left. Say bye bye." Anne said. No! How could Angel be the last one? Were the others really gone? She knew Gazzy was on his way, but this wasn't fair! Angel's last thought before her world went black was: _What if it is true? What if I am the only one left?_

**Review? A few of them would be ace.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, I have some good news and some extremely bad news. Good news: I finally got this chapter up. Bad news: my computer crashed and I lost half my story. I have to put this on hold until I have a computer I can write freely on again. It's mere coincidence that I was at my dad's. I'm sorry.**

Chapter 7

Max's POV

We hadn't flown far when Eve pointed to a large, abandoned-looking building beneath us.

"That's it. Jeb says that we can get in through the vents." She said, loud enough for us to hear over the roaring winds. Fang nodded and we angled our sleek bodies downward, toward the far, darker side of the building. I pulled my wings in tightly once we landed so that I could easily fit into a vent. I had trouble last time and I was considerably larger now. I couldn't even imagine how Iggy would fare.

"Okay, so now what, Eve?" I asked, setting my bag down behind a bush. "Give me the bags. We're going to have to hide them."

_Max, you're on your own now. I can't feed you and Eve directions once you're inside the building. Everything is blocked. _The voice burst into my head with sudden clarity, making me stop right in my tracks. Jeb.

_Jeb? Is that you?_

_Yes, who else would it be? _I easily recognized the bass tones in the familiar voice. They filled my head as if the void was emptying, no pun intended.

_I don't know, but I didn't think I'd ever hear you in my head again. _I said; Fang gave me a funny look when I shrugged. I mouthed 'Jeb' and he looked even more confused.

_Actually, Max, I was never in your head to begin with, remember? But, anyway, get on with the rescuing. I'll talk to you when it's all over. _I felt the void again, and my head was silent.

"Okay, come on," I said. "Let's go save the kids." _If they're alive. _Jeb might be trying to capture us, but we didn't have much of a choice. I crept to the edge of the building, Eve disappearing before my very eyes.

"Eve? Eve? Are you okay?" I whispered, my voice low.

"Yeah, don't worry about me. One of my powers is invisibility." The disembodied voice came from my right. I nodded and continued. The building was tall, the vents up high, but that was no problem for flying mutants. I spread my wings and made my way up to the only vent I saw. The bolts were rusty and noisy when Fang and I pulled them off. I handed the grate to Iggy, who brought it back to the ground, setting it against the side of the building. He flew back up to us and crawled into the vent after Eve. I followed Iggy and Fang pulled himself through after me.

"Everybody, silence is golden here, got it?" I whispered, hoping that they'd nod rather than speak. They did, Fang shoving a thumbs-up into my face. I rolled my eyes.

The way was crooked and full of twists and turns, but Eve led us through semi-confidently. I followed her, unsure if she could be trusted, but we had no other choice.

Another minor vent went past and I looked through as I went by. It was an almost empty room, like the one I'd lived in for most of my life. The walls were lined with cages, most of the creatures awake and wide-eyed. My heart pained seeing them there, but I couldn't do anything for them…yet.

Finally, after passing many more vents, Eve stopped.

"Okay, this is it, but we have to be really quiet. They're in a room not far from here. Nobody can know we're here until we're leaving -- then everybody has to know." She said. Iggy and Eve removed this vent and set it aside. She slipped through, becoming invisible. Iggy fell through, never crashing to the ground. I lifted my body and pushed it through. After a half second's worth of free fall, I pushed my wings out a little, just enough so I stayed afloat. I landed softly beside Eve and Fang stood next to Ig a second later.

Eve pointed to a door at the end of the narrow hallway and I led us to it. It was locked.

"Ig, it's locked. Can you pick it?" I turned to the pale, blind boy and he nodded, moving forward. He pulled a small case out from who-knows-where and removed a thin, wiry thing. He poked around inside the key hole for a minute before pushing down on the handle.

"Thanks." Eve whispered as I opened the door. The room was familiar, as all these rooms were to me. White walls, cages, and four familiar faces staring at me.

"Max!" Nudge, Angel, Gazzy and Total chorused. I ran to their cages and opened Nudge's, the closest door. She burst out and hugged me tightly around the shoulders, only reaching up a little. Fang and Iggy opened the other three doors and Eve worked on the other unknown cages. Gazzy crawled through with an effort and I ran to him next.

"Gaz, are you okay?" I said into his sand-colored hair. He cried silently into my shoulder and shook his head. I petted his hair affectionately before standing back up and helping Eve.

Hybrid after hybrid leapt out of their cage and ran for the door.

"Make sure they know that you got out!" Eve yelled. The hybrids left, yelling and whooping the whole way down the hall. My recombined flock followed, cheering for different reasons. We were together again. Sad, but together.

"Why do we want them to know that we escaped? And who are you?" Nudge asked as we ran from the building.

"Eve. And we want to flush them out into the open. You'll see why soon." She said, flinging a pair of French doors open. Floodlights filled our vision and alarms rang around us. We ran through the yard, Angel's hand wrapped around mine. Whitecoats, Flyboys, and GoBots followed us.

"Turn and fight! The flock doesn't run! Unless, of course, it's wiser to do so. But it isn't in this case!" I yelled. I turned on my heel to face my enemy. A yard full of mutants did the same. This was a once in a lifetime shot, seeing all of us, joining against our captors. I led the charge, running at full speed towards them.

I pounded my fist repeatedly into a random face, feeling the nose crush under my hand. Moving on, I did the same to all the whitecoats within a five-foot radius. The others could handle the rest.

I turned around, face to face with a Flyboy. He attempted to punch me in the stomach and would have succeeded if Fang hadn't jumped in front of me and taken the punch. He went down. I didn't have any more patience. I moved around him and sprang at the Flyboy with a new vengeance. I nimbly attacked him, landing three or four blows for his every one. I finally managed to get behind him and slammed my foot into his lower back.

Flyboy after Flyboy after whitecoat went down under my hands. Until finally, Go-bots surrounded me. They were much more difficult to bring down.

My punches were blocked by their enormous fists. My kicks were absorbed by their shins. Every punch or kick I got in, they managed about four. I was losing badly.

Suddenly, they all went still. Quickly, Go-Bot upon Go-Bot fell to the ground, on top of each other in buzzing, electronic heaps. I helped Fang up; he was still clutching his stomach in pain.

"You okay?" I asked him. He nodded and shook me off. I moved over to help others on the ground. Among them was Gazzy. He was ghost white and moaning.

"Gaz, what's wrong? Are you okay? What did they do to you?" I asked, helping him sit up. Angel was by his side in an instant. She stroked his forehead, trying to calm him down.

"I don't know. I don't think I will be, Max. I love you guys." He whispered, gripping me and his sister in a tight group hug. I hugged him back and pushed his hair down.

A little while after we were all reunited and introduced, our helping mutants said goodbye.

"Well, it was nice working with you guys. And thanks for busting us out of this joint. We really appreciate it." The oldest, Aaron, said, shaking my hand. Aaron was cute, around my age, but not quite my type. Although I had a feeling that if we had the chance, we would have been good friends.

"You're not going to come with us?" Fang asked, coming to stand beside me. Aaron shook his head and grasped Fang's hand.

"Nah, I have to take care of my own, like you two have to take care of yours. We're probably going to split up into two or three groups anyway. Some of the older kids here don't get along well." Aaron glanced furtively at a girl a few feet away. I snickered under my breath.

"Okay, we'll see you around." I said with a smile. Aaron nodded and whistled. A group of four or five kids huddled together around him.

"This is my crew. Julie, Allan, Leigh Anne, Lewis, and Carol." He said with a nod toward each person. Then, as one, they flew off. I was introduced like that to everybody and soon it us only the eight of us left. Me, Fang, Iggy, Eve, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, and Total.

"Okay, let's go…find our new mission." I said, leaping into the air. Fang, Iggy, and Eve followed me.

"Uhh…Max…we can't." Nudge said from down below us.

"Well, why not?" Fang asked, turning around and making his way back to the ground.

"They…they kind of removed our wings." Angel said, holding Gazzy upright. Oh dear.

"Well that puts a damper on things." Iggy said sarcastically.

**Again, I apologize. Really, I hate myself for this. Please, please, please review and DON'T forget this story, I'm begging you.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back! Updates will be slow until I get my new laptop (for Christmas) but after that they'll (hopefully) be slightly faster…hopefully.**

Chapter 9

Max's POV

"They removed your wings?!?!" I screamed once I had landed and gotten over the strange calm that had momentarily pervaded me. Nudge nodded and sniffled.

"Yes, our wings are gone. Worse, I'm the special one now. I don't know why, but they wanted me to work with them. I said no, of course." Nudge said, rubbing her eyes. I sighed heavily and plopped on the floor.

"Well, maybe my mom can…"

"I don't think so, Max." Angel cut me off.

"Why not? She's a vet. If you wanted your wings back, I'm sure she can give them to you!" I said, almost in hysterics.

"Well, because…why don't you tell her, Nudge?" Angel passed the news onto the chatterbox. Nudge bit her nails nervously for a minute before opening her mouth.

"Well, Max, you see… Dr M isn't a good guy. She was…well, she was the one who kind of removed our wings in the first place. She said she did it for our own good, but your mom was the one behind it Max. I'm sorry. If it makes you feel better, we were all fooled by her. But, wasn't it just a bit convenient? You save her daughter, get shot, end up at her house, and she just happens to be a vet? Then, you find out that she's your mom, Ella is your step sister, and Jeb, the dad we'd always dreamed of, happens to _be _your dad. It was all too good to be true. I'm sorry, Max, I really am. It totally sucks. But... what are we going to do about the whole no-wings situation?" Nudge blurted all this information out in a matter of about thirty seconds, a feat an Olympic champion would be proud of. I shook my head in disbelief.

"My mom is…evil? No, no, you're lying. Nudge, stop. This isn't funny. My mom wouldn't do something like that. She's…well, she's my mother... A mother wouldn't do that." I stated bluntly, the tears already surfacing in my eyes. I pushed the hot, salty liquid back down, forcing myself to hold it in until I was alone.

"My mom did, Max. Remember? She tried to sell me." Iggy pointed out. I shook my head.

"But my mom's different. She wouldn't do that. You've all met her. She's a good person." I told them, looking them all straight in the eyes.

Fang shook his head, defying me, "No. Maybe there was more to her than met the eye. Remember what we found in her study a while back? When you got your chip removed?" He asked me, kneeling down next to me and wrapping his arm around me. I pushed him off.

"No, no, NO! My mother... no! She didn't do that to you guys. You have to be mistaken. Maybe she has a clone, like us." I attempted to defend her, even though, deep down, I knew she didn't deserve it.

"We're going to have to move. Somebody will be out looking for us any minute. Come on. Let's walk somewhere." Fang suggested. I nodded and pushed more tears out of my eyes. I picked up Total, rubbing the soft spot behind his ears absently. Together we left, Fang and Iggy sharing Gazzy's weight between them. Eve stayed just a little bit away.

We walked for about an hour before we came to a small town.

"Okay, let's grab a hotel room or two for the night. I'm exhausted." I said. The others nodded. I grabbed Total's 'leash' from my bag and clipped it onto his collar. Iggy took the leash out of my hand and I led the way to a hotel down the road.

"Hi, can I have two rooms, please?" I asked the woman at the front desk. She nodded and typed something into her computer.

"Yeah, but I'll need proof from your parents." She looked expectantly around the room. I turned to Angel and winked inconspicuously. She concentrated on the woman's face. As the seconds passed, though, her expression went from concentration to exasperation to desperation.

"Excuse me? I'm going to need permission from your parents." The woman told me again. I looked from her to Angel and back again, giving up.

"Well, you see, that's the problem. They've kind of went away for a while. But don't worry; they're totally cool with this." I said as politely as I possibly could, even giving the woman a smile.

"I'm very sorry, but according to law I'm not allowed to give rooms to minors without adult permission." She said back to me as politely as I had.

"Look, lady, I just need two freaking rooms for one night! I've had a really bad day! Can't you people just cut me some slack?" I yelled, jabbing my finger into the counter harshly. If it weren't for the counter, it would've been her face.

"Well, I'm sorry miss, but I'm afraid I can't." The woman attempted to hold her composure together. I set my jaw and prepared for a jump over the counter within five seconds.

"Come on! Two rooms! Nobody would even know we're here! Please, lady, come on! Just let me have two damn rooms!" I shouted, springing agilely onto the counter and pointing my finger into her face menacingly. She stared back at me, hand poised on the phone, already dialing security.

"Hello, I need security down at the front desk right away." She spoke quickly into the receiver and hung up. That pissed me off even more.

"Oh, come on. Now you're calling security on me? I'm not afraid of them!" I said ferociously. Fang grabbed me around my middle, pinning my arms at my sides, and yanked me off the counter.

"Max, Max, cut it out. Come on, we can go somewhere else for the night." He summoned the rest of the flock and pulled me out of the hotel.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" He asked once we were out in the street again.

"I don't know what you mean. The lady wouldn't give me a freaking room. I could've paid for it. She just…wouldn't let me have the damn rooms!" I yelled into his face. He gave me a 'Fang' look.

"I'm sorry, Max. I don't know what happened. I couldn't even read her mind. I can't read anyone's mind. I think I lost my powers or something. I'm sorry." Angel looked into my eyes sadly. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

"It's not your fault, Angel. I-- I overreacted a bit. But, hey, I've had a difficult last few days. We all have. Let's get some sleep." I said, taking her hand and leading them to a deserted street. We found a park three streets over and crawled into the tunnels of the playground.

"I'll take first watch." Fang said. We stacked fists and tapped twice; Eve stood away a bit, looking at our daily ritual with intrigue. Then the kids, including Eve and Iggy, crawled into the tunnels and slides and settled down for an uncomfortable night. Not that we hadn't had worse, but compared to our beds in the… house we stayed at, this would be uncomfortable.

"Max, come here." Fang said from a swing. I walked over and sat down on one, pushing off slightly.

"I'm sorry. I know I made us all look like idiots. Ugh, I'm just angry. I mean, I can't believe they'd lie to me about my mom. It's so not like them." I said, staring off into the dark night. Fang blended into the sky and before long I couldn't see him. I let it slide this once.

"I don't think they were lying. They all know better than to lie, especially to you. It was all too coincidental. Max, I don't think we have a safe house with your mom anymore." Fang said, an eerie white mouth in the dark. I stared at the ground, angry that he would even try this.

"Fang, no, come on. You've met her. She's a good person. She wouldn't do this to me. She just wouldn't." I said matter-of-factly. He shook his head and his whole body appeared next to me.

"All the evidence is against her. We can't trust her." Fang told me. I wiped an escaped tear out of my eye and tried to compose myself. It was easier in the dark; I somehow managed the feat.

_Listen to Fang, Max. He's telling the truth. _It wasn't the Voice this time; it was Jeb again. For once I was happy to hear him. His news was bad, but he made it real. I had known deep down, maybe even from the start, that I couldn't trust somebody who had so conveniently popped up. I had never even admitted it to myself, but the feeling had always been there.

_Okay, fine, but what do we do now? The kids don't have wings and we can't do anything, including our world saving mission from my Voice, without them. _I answered after my brief inner battle.

_Your Voice's mission is bogus. The Voice was Dr. M and your 'mission' was to get your wings removed. So now, you have to ignore anything that Voice tells you. It may become painful. Are you up for the challenge, Maximum? _I nodded, although Fang was the only one who could see me. He looked at me strangely and looked away, not giving it another thought.

_I'm up to it. How do we get their wings back?_

_Do exactly as I say… _Jeb gave me the plan. I listened closely, nodding now and then. Once he had left my head for the night, I shared the plan with Fang, who agreed that it was necessary.

**Hope you LOVED it! I think the hotel scene, like, made the whole chapter. Review PLEASE! They make me HAPPY!!!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it's been so long. Without further ado, I give you chapter nine!**

Chapter 9

Max's POV

"Okay, up. My watch." I pulled Fang out of the swing a few hours later. I had left shortly after our talk and cried my eyes out, only to return to the same silent park. My eyes were no longer puffy and red -- a sure sign of crying -- and the flock was still sound asleep.

"No. We still have stuff to figure out, Max." He said, holding his ground on the swing. I nodded and sat down in front of his swing. This enabled me to hear him better and he wouldn't be able to swing. To do so would give me a large and nasty bruise…and probably induce a fist fight.

Instead of just sitting on the swing like any normal person/mutant would, however, he jumped up and pulled me to the merry-go-round.

"Okay, what now? A bird girl can only handle too much tragedy before shooting the messenger." I said slyly. He knew that if I got too upset, I might actually take it out on him, but only because he would fight me back and put me in my place, though.

"No, I don't think there's much more tragedy. What are we going to do about Eve?" He asked me, all joking over. I shrugged.

"She can do whatever she wants, I guess. Stay with us or leave or whatever, I guess." As long as I had my family, I didn't truly care what Eve did. When --if-- she left, as long as my family stayed with me, I would be happy.

"Okay, but can we trust her? Now we're only going on instincts about her, since Angel's powers are on the fritz. And, based on recent revelations, we're not the best judges of character." Fang pointed out kindly. I shrugged again, no answers in my head.

"Well, I guess…I mean, what choice do we have? She helped us rescue the others." I told him, feeling a small soft spot for the new avian.

"And she knew exactly where we were. Something is weird about her." Fang whispered, leaning towards me a little bit. I nodded.

"Yeah, I totally agree. But, what else can we do? You know that I can't just kick her to the curb like yesterday's catch of the day." I said, shifting so I sat on my feet. I ended up a little closer to Fang than I'd meant to and he seemed to take the quite accidental movement as some sort of sign.

He moved closer until our shoulders were touching. I leaned against him, a comfortable pillow after a stressing day. Again, Fang took this as a sign and wrapped his arm around my back, resting it on my hip.

I looked up into his eyes, to tell him to cut it out, no doubt, and lost my train my thought. His dark, onyx eyes stared back at me, pleading, almost, for me not to run again. I stayed. I couldn't move. His gaze rendered me immobile. He lifted my chin slightly; my lips unconsciously parted a little. He moved closer and closer, the moment lingering and stretching on and on. I closed my eyes, ready for his lips to touch mine for the fourth time.

They came, soft and moist. Our breath mixed together. His lips moved urgently on mine. We parted soon after. He hugged me closer. But my mind wasn't on his lips; it was far away.

"So, what does this mean? About us, I mean." Fang asked softly, destroying the perfect moment. I looked into his eyes and instead of them making me lose my train of thought again, they gave me courage.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know anymore, Fang. I don't know anything anymore. This is all too confusing." I told him honestly. He moved me away a little, but kept his arms around me.

"I know. But, right now, I just…just want to talk about us for a change. We can focus on that for five minutes, can't we?" He asked me.

"Fang, they're can't be an _us_. We're teenage mutants on the run. Teenage mutants with obvious feelings for each other. If we ever broke up, fought, something like that, the kids would freak. We could end up splitting them up again. I would die if that happened. I love you all too much for that." I took a deep breath before continuing.

"We could give them the wrong idea if we dated now. Think about it, Fang. What message would they get? 'Max and Fang are dating with no adults around.' Think about how that would look. These kids are all we have. Maybe…maybe one day when we're all settled down you and I can be an 'us.' But right now, on the run, I don't think it's in the cards." I had started my little speech off strong, my voice loud and clear, but by the end, my voice was so quiet I could barely even hear it. But Fang had. His face fell and he dropped his arms from around me.

"Oh. Okay, I guess." Fang said with a small frown.

"I'm sorry, Fang. You do understand, don't you? These kids are all I have and they aren't stupid. They'd know what's going on." I tried to explain myself better. He shook his dark hair.

"No, they're not all you have, Max. You have me and you always will." Fang's voice was so soft I had to strain to hear him.

"You know what I mean. I need you, but not the way I need the others. I need you by my side. I need you to survive. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, Fang. You know that. But them, they're like my kids. Like our kids, I suppose. And you, well, I see you as so much more. But there just isn't room for a relationship right now." I told him, stroking the hand of his that I held affectionately.

"I get it. One day though, you and I will be together. We were meant for each other, Max. And it's only a matter of time until you see that too. Until then, we're just friends though, huh?" he asked me, pulling his hand back to himself. I nodded.

"I guess so."

"Well, at least we'll have something to look forward to, then," He saw my questioning glance and explained, "We'll always have each other, you and me. But, if we're not together now, we'll have something to look forward to in the future. One day, whether you like it or not, we'll be together. And when it happens, I'll be there, well duh, but I'll be there to say 'Duh, I told you so.'" I laughed loudly at his explanation.

"Very nice. Now, get some sleep. We have a very busy day tomorrow. No need to fear, I'll be watching." I told him, both of us standing up simultaneously.

"Okay. Good night, Max." Fang said, hugging me. I hugged him back and walked over to the swings. He settled down next to Gazzy on one of those double, twisty slides.

My watch was quiet, although I didn't do much watching. My brain was still in full thinking mode. I thought about everything. Eve, Fang, Jeb, and … _her. _I didn't dare say her name, even in my head. She'd hurt me so badly. I couldn't believe I'd ever trusted a human being. Nudge and Fang were right; it _had _been too convenient. But, she was so kind to me. Even removing my chip…

Wait! My chip... what if she didn't remove it? Oh God, things just have a way have starting off bad and getting worse as it goes on.

But, my problems could wait until morning. No need to scare the children tonight.

The rest of my watch continued in silence. I let all my problems and worries go and concentrated on making sure my flock (and Eve) was safe.

**Okay, and end chapter! I hope you all liked it. A bit of FAX there for you. I have a secret. Come closer…closer…closer…OW! Okay, too close. Just kidding. Okay, so there are 23 total chapters, there will hopefully be a sequel, and the story ends with exactly six flock members. Okay, so that last bit doesn't really do much, but if you think really (or not so really) hard about it, it's actually huge!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ugh, sorry this took so long. I got it back from my beta the other day, but then the site was being retarded.**

Chapter 11

Max's POV

I woke up the next morning, still sitting on my swing. The flock surrounded me, looking at me as if I'd lost it. Which I very well might have.

"You fell asleep. Luckily, we weren't attacked. You would have been useless if we had been. We've been trying to wake you up for, like, fifteen minutes!" Nudge said from the swing next to me. Angel clutched Celeste tightly to her chest. Gazzy was still rubbing his eyes, like he'd had trouble getting up too. He looked a little better -- not great, but not green either. Iggy looked fully refreshed. Fang was obviously tired, the bags under his eyes accentuating last night. Eve looked ... pretty. Somehow, even on the run, she managed to look gorgeous.

"Okay, we have a busy day today. Who's eaten?" I called, rubbing my lower back. It hurt from falling asleep on a swing. That wasn't my brightest idea ever. Everybody but Gazzy and I raised their hands.

"Okay, you and I can eat on the way, kiddo." I said, ruffling his paler-than-usual hair. I picked up our bags and handed them out to people. Total leapt into my arms, thinking we were flying.

"Nope. Sorry. Some of us are at a disadvantage now, bud. We're carjacking." I said with a smirk. Fang and Iggy smiled, thinking of all the possibilities in a car. I was thinking of something fast and big. Maybe, like, a racing minivan or a Hummer.

We walked to the nearest car junkyard, a two-hour walk on foot. Parts were strewn everywhere, making it hard to find anything. But then, there it was. A van. It _looked_ like it was in good condition. Dark blue in color, seven seats, and just missing a steering wheel. A minor concern for us, of course. Iggy attached one from an old Jaguar. Fang wanted to just take the Jag, but I refused the little car.

"Fang, that thing would barely fit me and you comfortably, let alone all seven. Or eight. Sorry, Total." I told him. He just shook his head and jumped into the passenger side. I opened the driver's side and climbed in.

"Maybe I should drive, Max. I mean, I _am_ the tallest. I look like I could have my license." Iggy suggested, leaning his head on my headrest. I laughed out loud.

"Yeah, I'm sure the cops would love that. Let the blind kid drive. None of us would ever see the light of day again." I snickered, pressing gently on the gas. Nudge and Eve were under the hood, hotwiring it so I could drive.

"Okay, Max! It should be good to go!" Eve called, slamming the hood down. The girls wiped their hands on their jeans and crawled in the backseat. I put the pedal to the metal, so to speak, and we left. Gazzy sang us 'Lipgloss' by Lil' Mama for about half the ride. The other half was dedicated to making fun of me.

"Max, where are we going?" Nudge asked me from between a singing Gazzy and a laughing Eve.

"To Florida. I know some guys there," I answered in my most suave voice. She nodded and leaned back in her seat. That really was our destination. And I did know some guys there. Well, one, and I wasn't sure I trusted him, but he was our last hope.

"Hey, Max? What are we _doing_ in Florida?" Nudge asked a few hours later. We weren't even half way there and I was ready to kill everyone in the damn van.

"Nudge, sweetie, what would the smart thing be in this situation?" I asked, keeping myself from jumping over the seat and strangling lave. He was still singing that damned song!

"I don't know. Get our wings back?" She asked with a shrug. I smiled into the rearview mirror at her and nodded.

"Max has a plan, Nudge. Don't worry." Fang muttered with a helpful glance toward me. I smiled my thank you and returned my attention to the road.

"But, Max..." Nothing good ever came when Nudge said 'but'. "What if one of us didn't want our wings back?"

See? I told you.

"I want to find my family," she continued. "I love you guys, but I want my real parents."

I slammed the heel of my hand into the steering wheel out of anger, the van swerving a bit with the motion. Nudge looked utterly bewildered and sat back down.

Damn it! My family was falling apart again already! Oh, God.... I took in three long breaths -- in, out, in, out, in, out -- and realized that nothing was going to calm me down. I pulled over and turned around to face her.

"Nudge, what do you mean you don't want your wings back?" I asked her, trying to smile through clenched teeth. My mouth was nothing but a nasty smile, contorted and disfigured from rage.

I remembered something that Future Me had said: '_Your leadership skills will be put to the test, and you will lose at least one person._' This must have been part of the test. Or the person I'd lose. I didn't like the second option, though, and pushed it towards the back of my head.

Nudge shrugged.

One last, deep breath told me that this was part of growing up. Most teens rebel against their parents. Maybe Nudge was rebelling against the closest thing she had. I'm still rebelling against Jeb and now, apparently, my mother. This, like all her other phases, would pass. I just had to keep her on board until it did.

"I want a family. I want a mother and father and a sister to shop with. I want to go to school and meet other kids my age. I want a boyfriend. I want to live a normal life. I'm sorry, Max." She said. I saw her glance sheepishly at Iggy, who was staring in her direction, but obviously didn't see the look.

I fumed silently, turning around again to slam my foot on the gas, grumbling unhappily the entire time. The car wasn't silent for long, however, before Gazzy struck up a round of '99 Bottles'. I stared out the windshield, keeping my eyes firmly on the road, not even glancing in the mirrors often. Total made his way to the front seat and jumped onto Fang's lap to stare at me.

I sped down the highway, swerving to avoid cars.

"Max, cut it out and slow down. We're going to get pulled over if you keep driving like this, and without Angel's help, we're going to be put in the slammer," Fang told me.

I looked at him in disbelief, narrowing avoiding a small sedan. Who the hell did he think he was?! He could _NOT_ tell me what to do!

For his snide comment, I sped up, cackling like the maniac that I am. The rear of the car went silent.

Suddenly, sirens sounded in the distance.

"Shit," I muttered, pounding the steering wheel again. Iggy laid a hand on my shoulder comfortingly, making me sigh.

"Fang, look in the glove box." I told him, pointing to the compartment in front of him. He opened it and, lo and behold, found papers in there! He pulled them out and shuffled through them quickly.

"There's an old expired license and expired registration here," he said, handing them to me. I huffed out a breath and threw them behind me, over the seat.

"Hold on, everybody!" I said, and stomped my foot on the gas pedal, pouring back into the street. Cars darted out of the crazed driver's way, their horns screaming at me. I barreled down the street, going at an unbelievable 110 mph. The sirens drew closer, from every direction.

"Shit," I said again, louder this time. Today was not my day... again. I drove as fast as I possibly could, the police getting closer with each passing second. I veered off the road, dangerously close to an innocent farmer. I crashed and plowed through his fields, trying to lose the old black and whites.

"Shit, shit shit! Why didn't we steal that stupid Jag?!" I yelled, pounding on the steering wheel.

"Ooh, Max... Shit is a bad word," Angel whispered from the back seat behind Fang. I rolled my eyes, driving like crazy. Making our path as twisted as possible, I drove as fast as I could without crashing into anything. Sadly, the sirens followed us.

Finally, the fields ended and I burst back onto a dirt road. Just then, a car cut us off, but it wasn't a cop car...

"Come on! Jump in!" Jeb waved from the driver's seat of the dark green Hummer. I smiled and leapt out of the door. The flock followed, and Eve got there first. She jumped into the far back, Iggy sliding in after her, and Angel after him. Gazzy, Fang, and Nudge took the middle. I got into the passenger's side with Total on my lap. Our bags were still in the stolen van. Luckily, my Max Ride car was tucked safely into my pocket.

"Drive, man, drive!" I yelled to Jeb, slamming an open palm on the dashboard. He punched the gas and the car leapt to life. We drove at a normal pace, so as not to alert the police of who was in the car.

"Fang, you didn't by chance grab the laptop, did you?" I asked, turning around to face him.

"Shit, no! It's still in my bag," he groaned, rubbing his forehead. I shook my head. Our lives were on that thing!

"So, Max? How's the mission going?" Jeb asked, trying to distract me. I huffed and rolled my eyes. Then I snuck a peek at Nudge in the side mirror.

"Terribly," I told him honestly. He nodded in understanding and continued the trip to Florida.

**Yeah. Review? Review, review! The next chapter will definitely be up in less than a month. Sorry for the wait!**


	12. Chapter 12

**So sorry it's taken so long. I hope you haven't given up on me! I don't really have any excuses.**

Chapter 12Max's POV

We traveled comfortably in silence for about fifteen minutes. Then, Nudge and Gazzy decided it was too quiet.

"99 bottles of pop on the wall, 99 bottles of pop! Take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of pop on the wall!" They began. I rolled my eyes and tuned them out, turning to Jeb instead. He and I spoke of our plans for the near future and Nudge's apparent phase; thankfully, she couldn't hear us over everybody's loud singing.

"So, do you think it's a phase? Or do you think that I actually have to worry?" I asked him. I was still wary of Jeb, but for all he was doing for us, I could at least give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I don't know. Nudge is growing up. It could just be a phase, or it could be the real thing. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Speaking of waiting..." Jeb trailed off, looking at something in the rearview mirror. I followed his gaze and saw who he was looking at. Fang.

"No, Jeb. Stop. Just, no." I said, punching him lightly in the shoulder. He laughed and let the subject drop, turning his eyes back to the road.

"Max, I think I have a new power!" Who, get this-it wasn't Angel. Nudge had been the one to call out. I turned around and immediately cracked up laughing. Fang's hair was bright pink! I mean, like, neon, 80's spandex, hurts your eyes, pink. The whole car was laughing, except Fang.

"Fang, your hair...it's pink." I managed to tell him through bursts of laughter.

"I know. Nudge, change it back!" He said unhappily. I stifled my laughter and shushed the kids.

"Okay, guys, it...isn't that...funny. Okay, stop now, it isn't nice to laugh at people. Nudge, change it back, please." I asked, still holding back laughter. She thought really hard and his hair shifted color. From pink to red to yellow to green to blue to black, finally it was its old dark color. Nudge smiled proudly of her accomplishment.

"That's really cool, sweetie. I don't know how it'll help, but it's cool." I told her. She nodded and looked at Gazzy. They spent the next hour or so playing with their looks. Nudge's finger nails grew to about six inches long and turned blue. Gazzy's nose got big and wide. Iggy's skin got darker. Eve's hair was shorter and bright purple. Angel got pink pastel colored skin. Fang got his cool pink hair back. And, to my horror, my pink streaks had returned.

"Okay, stop now." I said once I'd found my legs becoming disproportionate to my body. Nudge smiled and returned me to my normal self. They played around with it, leaving those who wanted to be left out.

"Another six hours or so and we'll be there." Jeb said. I smiled. Yes, my family would be back to as normal as it gets soon enough. We, all nine of us, spent the rest of the time playing stupid car games. Fang and I even joined in on a round of '99 Bottles.' We played things like the license plate game, the alphabet game, I spy, etc.

"Everybody out." Jeb commanded hours later. I looked around. It was the middle of nowhere. A small landing strip surrounded by dense forest.

"Uh, Jeb, where are we?" I asked as I stepped out of the car. Everybody else filed out after me.

"Airport. We're flying from here. This is Florida, just not the area you were expecting. We're flying from here to a small private island. It's near Hawaii. That's where we'll do the procedure." He said. I nodded. The plane came into view shortly after. I had been on the plane before. It was the same one Nudge had discovered her other power boarded the small private jet, making ourselves at home. I claimed a couch all to myself. Nudge took a seat near me. Angel and Total moved next to her. Gazzy, Iggy, and Eve sat a few feet in front of the girls, chatting quietly about who knows what. Fang sat down next to me, but at the other end of my couch.

"This is my couch. Move it or lose it, buddy." I told him, sticking out my tongue. Instead of finding his own seat/couch, he moved closer. Jeb sat down where he had been a second before.

"Hello, I'm Andrew. Can I get you anything?" I looked up and saw the same steward who had been on the plane last time. He was still cute. I smiled. Hey, I might have, like, promised (I guess) myself to Fang, but I can still look. It's a free country.

"Yeah, sure. I'll have a coke in a can; make sure the can is closed. Thanks." I said politely, trying not to sound like a snob. Nudge and I exchanged a look that very clearly said, 'yes, he's cute.'

A minute later, Andrew returned with my soda and a crystal glass. He looked at Nudge and started laughing. We exchanged a glance, as if she'd always had orange skin and teal hair. Once he'd left, I popped open the can and drank it in one large gulp. Then, I scooted over and rested on Fang's shoulder. My eyes shut, I blame the cushy couch, and I fell asleep. A girl could get used to living in the lap of luxury.

"Max, come on. We're here. This place is amazing looking." Fang said. He moved out from underneath me and I jerked wide awake. I rubbed my eyes and looked out the small circular window.

Palm trees, white sands, crystal blue water, and gorgeous buildings greeted me. I raced Fang off the plane and stared at the sight. A large building stood high in the sky before me. It was so covered in glass windows that the sun glinted off it, making it appear other worldly.

"Jeb, if you say this is your island, I may smack you." I told my father, looking around the private island in amazement.

"Okay, I won't tell you then." Jeb smiled. I looked at my immediate surroundings, taking in a little at a time. Around the plane were green palm trees, an empty road, white sand, and crystal clear blue water. If it weren't for the current circumstances, I would have made a run (or fly) straight for the inviting ocean.

Jeb led us into the tall, reflective building. A tall red head was at the desk, reading a magazine and popping her gum. She reminded me of a certain somebody from Virginia and I ignored her, marching past with as much dignity as I could muster (which was a pretty good amount).

The elevator was unbearably cramped with all of us in it. As we hit floor three, I began hyperventilating. By the time we got to our floor, floor thirteen, Nudge and Fang were rubbing my back and pinning my hands to my sides so that I didn't lash out at anybody. I leapt out of it before the doors were opened fully, followed very closely by the led us through hallway after hallway, walking slowly so I could gauge the escapes as he'd known I would. Three lefts, then a right, then skip four doors, make another right, and immediately make a left.

Third Person POV

Nudge tried with all her might to shake off what Valencia had told her. But as hard as she tried, it wouldn't leave her head. How could she, the fourth in command, be more powerful than Max or Angel?

She recalled one of their last conversation with the evil scientist/vet/mother.

"Now Nudge, this is your last chance. Will you join me?" Dr M had asked, pacing in front of her. Nudge watched her carefully, calculating every move.

"Sorry to be a disappointment, Crazy Lady, but I decline." Nudge said with sarcasm dripping from each word. Suddenly, there Omega was, angry and in Nudge's frightened face.

"Listen you ungrateful, insolent little brat! We're offering to KEEP YOU ALIVE here! None of your other hokey little friends are being asked to join us! You should be begging for an opportunity like this." Omega yelled. Nudge flinched, hearing the dark, menacing tone.

"No." Nudge repeated the two-letter word over and over. Unfortunately, it had absolutely no effect. Omega advanced. He put his strong fingers on either side of her jaw and pushed hard. Her face puckered.

"Listen and listen good you pretty little thing. We're giving you a major opportunity here. Not only would you stay ALIVE, but you'd be in a spot of high power. You'd also be famous." He was an inch away from Nudge's face. She could smell his sickly sweet breath filling her nose. But, his monologue had the desired effect, because Nudge's thoughts started to churn. She distantly heard Dr M and Omega talking to her and she heard herself give bland, orthodox responses, but Nudge was far away.

Nudge saw herself sitting on a throne, a golden crown perched precariously on top of her bushy hair. Hundreds of people knelt before her. A man she didn't recognize sat beside her.

She imagined herself with a colorful scarf wrapped around her hair and dark, over sized sunglasses on her eyes. Cameras flashed and shutters clicked in every direction. People were screaming her-

"Nudge? So, will you join me or not?" Dr M snapped her out of the daze. Nudge blinked back the flashes from the imaginary cameras and stared at the vet.

"No, of course not." Nudge responded. Val shrugged and nodded to Omega. He held a cloth soaked in a delicious smelling oil over nose. Nudge's eyelids drooped and her head lulled to the side. But, Nudge's mind stayed focused. She loved the flock with all her heart, but Nudge had always wanted to be famous.

**Okay, so the end. I haven't gotten MAX yet, so no spoilers please! I'm so excited to get it. I've heard it was a lot better than TFW. Is that true? Does anyone know where I could get a copy for cheap?**


	13. Chapter 13

Yay, new chapter. Tell me what you think.

**Chapter 13**

**Max's POV**

"**Who wants to fly again?" I asked the three wingless ones with jubilance.**

**Their hands shot into the air somewhat comically as they shouted "Me, me, ooh, me!" **

**We then followed Jeb into an office.**

"**Max, can I speak to you? In private?" Jeb asked me. I looked around to make sure the flock was okay --they were-- and followed him into an even smaller office cautiously. **

**This room was only about the size of a broom closet. He sat down behind the small oak desk and gestured to the chair in front of him. I sat down gingerly and realized my legs had gotten incredibly long. Instead of cramping them up, I pulled them on top of the desk and stretched out, crossing my feet at the ankles. Jeb and I stared at each other for a few moments before he spoke.**

"**Now, Max, I know how much you want a normal family, but I don't think that can happen. This will be a long and painful process. You children will undoubtedly have to put off the world saving for awhile." When he said that, I literally had to restrain myself from physically wiping my brow.**

"**Oh darn. Really? 'Cause I was seriously looking forward to saving the world. But, there's one little flaw here. **_**Where are we going to stay? **_**We're sort of on the run. It isn't like we have a nice, beautiful home that we don't have to worry about getting blown up. Well, hey, I got an idea! Why don't we just hijack an island? Some cute, little, uninhabited one. Do you have an available one in mind?" I asked him snidely. I felt a little silly, almost drunk. My stomach was in knots for some reason and my heart was beating rapidly…well, more rapidly than normal. To my surprise he smiled patronizingly and nodded.**

"**Actually, I do." He said. Jeb opened a desk drawer and rummaged around in it. Deciding whatever he was looking wasn't it there, he abruptly closed it and opened another. He looked so delighted as he pulled out a folded piece of paper I expected him to shout 'Eureka!', but he didn't. He spread a map out across his desk, pushing other papers unceremoniously to the ground. He tried to shove my feet away, but they didn't budge, so he sighed and pointed.**

"**This is where we are." He pointed to an island about fifty miles away from Hawaii. "This," He moved his finger to an island so small it looked like a potato chip crumb, "is my private island. It uses a strong electromagnetic force to completely cloak it from view. It's virtually undetectable, and only on this map or maps made before I bought the island. It's very tiny, only about four miles from coast to coast. You guys could have it. I have a little house on it. People would have to share rooms; it's a five bedroom, three bathrooms, nice view. You guys could just disappear while they recover. After the world is saved you could return." My father: the mutant real estate agent. I stared at him with a look bordering on anger plastered on my face.**

"**Wait, let me get this straight. You're willing to give me and the flock an island? You've got to be kidding!" I cried in disbelief.**

"**Sort of. You're my daughter," I flinched at the word. "--Well, it's true, so I can let you borrow it, at least. Then, once the world is safe, we can talk." He said with a small, regretful smile. I nodded.**

"**And I should trust you because…?" I waved my hand in the air vaguely.**

"**I've brought you this far without screwing you over, haven't I?" Jeb told me wisely. I shrugged.**

"**Yes…no…well, sort of. I have more questions - a lot, actually - and I was wondering if you could answer them for me? Truthfully?" I wanted to trust him so badly, but I was terrified of getting hurt. To my happiness and surprise, Jeb nodded.**

"**As truthfully as I can without putting you in danger." I rolled my eyes.**

"**What more danger could we possibly be in?"**

"**Max, almost twelve years ago, things were set in motion that are bigger than you and I." Jeb said ominously.**

"**Yeah, whatever. So, first things first. Who's my Voice?"**

"**Dr Martinez," was Jeb's simple answer. That evil traitor.**

"**You know what? Just tell me everything, and start at the beginning. And actually, can we go into the other room so I won't have to repeat it for the flock?" I asked suddenly. I knew this was one story I wouldn't be willing to repeat. He nodded and we left.**

"**Okay guys, hush up. It's story time." I said, sitting in front of Jeb. The others followed suit, sitting down in one of those elementary school semi-circles around Jeb.**

"**Okay... Back in the mid 1980's, two women discovered that you could splice DNA and combine it with another species' DNA for enhanced abilities. Their names were Marian Jansen, as I'm sure you know, and Valencia Martinez." Angel gasped loudly here.**

"**They enlisted me for help in our junior year of college. Our first tries weren't too successful, since they were on rats. Then, we started experimenting on cats and rabbits." **

**Oh my God, I thought I was going to be sick.**

"**These were much more successful, but we started wondering what would happen if we could pull that off with a human." I could actually feel the bile rising up my throat. **

"**That's where you come into the picture, Max. Valencia and I decided we would sacrifice our baby for science. We had been dating for almost a year and three months prior when we found out she was expecting. After you were born we broke up." **

_**Oh God.**_** By then, I was literally holding down the barf. Without a word, I stood up and rushed to the garbage can. **

_**I was only an experiment?**_** All my life I'd been hoping that somewhere I had a mother and father who really, truly cared. Now, I find out I'd dreamt about my parents -- and I find out that one is insane and the other is a bitch. I was only an experiment to them. For science. My creation wasn't love…it was all for the good of mankind. Why couldn't I have normal parents? **

**Finally, my stomach was empty and I stood up with as much dignity as I could gather. The flock was trying not to look at me, although I could see Angel was itching to come hug me. I wiped my mouth and sat down next to her. Immediately, she crawled into my lap and smoothed down my hair.**

"**Continue." I told Jeb quietly. He nodded a little skeptically and went on as if nothing had happened.**

"**After that, everything went so fast... I stayed with Itex so I could still be near you and inform Val about what was happening. She asked to work with us a few months before. I talked Marian into letting her be your Voice. I covered for her. Then, somehow, somewhere, Val changed her mind and went bad. She broke away from Itex and started her own company. I left Itex, too." He finished. I nodded, as if I hadn't just puked my guts out.**

"**Yeah. So anything else? Are you on their side or ours?" I asked him viciously.**

"**I'm your father, Max. What side do you think I'm on?" He said. I knew it was a rhetorical question but I answered anyway.**

"**Honestly, I don't know. I can't keep up with your constant side-switching all the time." I told him, kissing Angel on the top of her head to hide the pain in my eyes.**

"**Yours, Max," He replied with a smile. I sighed with relief. I could trust him…for now.**

"**Good... Now, about these wings…" Iggy said, allowing his voice to trail off.**

"**Yes, of course. We'll reactivate the DNA. All Dr M. did was deactivate it. It's not too difficult, but the recovery is long and painful. It'll take about three months. Once your wings are totally grown back, all of your abilities will have kicked in. Between the time of complete recovery and when I reactivate the DNA, you may have sporadic bursts of power. That doesn't mean that the power will stay with you, though. And like I said, your genes have begun to mutate. So, as the years go on you may get a few more. Those aren't programmed into your systems. Come see me if they do appear, because they could be harmful to your system. What do you guys say?" Jeb asked. At that totally inopportune moment, my Voice made one of it's - her - famous appearances.**

_**Max?**_** She interrupted me. I sighed heavily and held up a finger to show everybody to wait before they answered.**

_**Ah, long time no speak Voice. Or would you rather I called you 'mom'?**_** I put every ounce of venom and hatred and anger I could possibly muster into the word.**

_**I guess Jeb told you, huh?**_** I'm pretty sure I snorted out loud when she said that.**

"**No, he didn't tell me **_**ANYTHING! **_**How could you do this to me?" I shouted out loud. Everyone jumped at the sound of my voice and watched me closely.**

_**I'm sorry. I never meant for you to find out.**_** I guffawed.**

_**Oh, so you just wanted to keep me in the dark FOREVER? To kill me and my flock? It would have been my fault and I would have taken the blame! You…you…BITCH! You hateful, horrible, conniving, deceiving, wretched bitch! **_**I screamed in my head. Seriously, if you can scream in your mind you have problems. But we already know I have plenty of those.**

_**Max, I'm sorry.**_

_**I don't care how sorry you are. Sorry will never fix this. Why should I trust you? Every word you've ever said to me was a lie. I'm not falling into your traps again…ever.**_

_**Now, Max, I never wanted to lie to yo-**_

_**Then why did you?!**_

_**Sometimes, a mother has to lie to protect her child.**_

_**You're not my mother and don't call me your child!**_

_**I'll always be your mother, whether you like it or not.**_

_**I don't. And you don't have to lie to your children. **_**I felt Dr M.'s presence begin to fade and relief flooded through me.**

_**Goodbye, Maximum.**_** Those were the last words I heard the Voice (inside my head) say. If we had been face to face, she would have received a certain finger normally reserved for sexist pigs, and a sarcastic half wave.**

"**How did it go?" Fang asked gently the second I was back to normal.**

"**Ugh. But she's gone, thank God. The Voice has left the building." I told him with a dry laugh.**

**How did you like it? I liked it. But I should like it, I wrote it. **


End file.
